Cutting-off machine



July 23, 1929. M. J. SCHLITTERS. JR

CUTTING-OFF MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 15 1927 July 23, 1929.

M. J. SCHLITTERS. JR

CUTTING-OFF MACHINE Filed May 15, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet fin .P Lu

m n e 0 M d I/ 0, a atznup July 23, 1929. M. J. SCHLITTERS, JR

' CUTTING-OFF MACHINE Filed May 13, 1927 4-SheetsSheet Jhwnto'a Jf/yvel/in g 7/ July 23, 1929. M. J. SCHLITTERS. JR

CUTTING-OFF MACHINE Filed May 13, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet wv ww PatentedJuly 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL J. SCHLITTERS, JR, or DETROIT, MiCHIGAN, AssIe'NOa To magmaSCREW PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 01* HIGH!-GAN.

c'UTTInaorr MAOIIINE.

Application filed Kay 13,

ple spindle type wherein a plurality of pieces of stock aresimultaneously treated in the machine. There are provided inner andouter holders for supporting tools engaging the stock at diametricallyopposite points so that the stock will be cut or otherwise formedhalfway by each tool. The spindles are geared to rotate on their ownaxes while the tool holders are moved inwardly of the stock. The innertool holders are moved by wedges which advance the inner tools into thestock, and the outer tool holders are preferably cam oper ated. The twocams are preferably related to each other so that one set of cutters,inner or outer, will have completed its work before the other setengages the material.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following description and in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of themachine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the spindle assembly; and

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of F igure 2.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characterswhich are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The frame of the machine may be indicated in general by the numeral 1,and particular parts thereof will be specifically indicated as required.The frame includes end walls 2 and 3 in Which is journaled the maindrive shaft 4 carrying a pulley 5 which may be belted to a suitablesource of power. A sleeve 6 surrounds the shaft and is spacedtherefromas shown in- Figure 3. The sleeve 1927. Serial No. 191,036.

has its ends fixed in the ends 2 and 3 of the frame and therefore doesnot interfere with the movement of the shaft. The sleeve functions asthe carrier of a slide member 7 which is substantially square in crosssection.

The machine isof the multiple spindle type wherein there are provided aplurality of spindles each supporting a piece of stock. One of thesespindle assemblies is shown in detail in Figure 6 and the four spindlescomprised in the present machine are arranged at the corners of a squarehaving its diagonals intersecting in theaxis of the shaft be seen byreference to Figure 3.

The end wall 3 is a double member comprising elements 3 and 3 formedwith pairs of aligned bearings 8 and 9 at the points where the spindlesare to spindle includes an outer tube 10 slidablybe supported. Each 4 asmay mounted in a pair of bearings and provided 7 with an externallythreaded end 11 disposed inwardly of the wall element 3". On thisthreaded end is screwed a hollow seat member. .12 tapered internally asat 13 for accommodating a-chuck or collet. The other end of the tube 10has a flange 14, the purpose of which will presently be described. I

The tube 10 contains a slidablecollet tube 15 formed at its inner endwith a chuck 16 adapted to fit in the seat member 12. The

chuck is split at 17 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, in order topermit clamping upon. the piece of stock 18 surrounded thereby. Theouter end of the collet tube has a flange 19 adapted to be moved intoengagement with the collar 14. Within the collet tube 15 and surroundingthe stock 18 is provided a slidable pusher tube 20 having at its innerend a series of spring fingers 21 adapted to press upon the work. Theouter end of this tube has a collar 22.

Inwardly of its collar 14, the spindle tube 10 is loosely surrounded bya block 23 having a cam surface 24. A head 25 loosely surrounds the tubemembers bet-ween' the block 23 and the collar 22 and has pivoted theretoapair of 'fi'ngers- 26 which have their free ends in engagement with thecam face 24.- These fingers are provided near their pivot points withangular lugs 27 adapted to engage the flange 19.

A frame 28 ispositioned in the plane of the several heads 23 and isformed with yokes 29 received in grooves 30 formed in theseheads.

Similarly another frame 31 is provided in a plane inwardly of thecollars 22 and has corner formations 32 adapted to engage these collarsat the inner surface thereof. A similar pusher device 33 is provided atthe end of these assemblies and has sections 34 adapted to engage theouter surface of the collars 22.

The frames 28, 31 and 33 are controlled by suitable cam mechanism toeffect the following operations.

When a piece of work has beenfinished in the machine, the frame 21 isretracted outwardly to engage the collars 22 and to move the pushertubes 20 in'the same direction. The stock is still clamped in the chuck,and since the gripping action of the latter member is greater than thatof the spring fingers 21,

9' stock through the chuck. Finally, the frame 28 is moved outwardly sothat the cam face 24 swingsthe fingers 26 and brings the lugs 27 againstthe flange 19 to clamp the chuck again on the stock.

On the top and bottom of the slide 7 are provided constructions fordetermining the length of stock moved through the chucks by the pushertubes and for moving the'cutting tools against the stock. Since theseassemblies are identical on both horizontal surfaces of the slide, itwill be necessary to describe only one of them in detail. Eachhorizontal surface of the slide has fixed thereto a track member 35 ofsubstantially T-shape in cross section and held by screws 36 as shownmore clearly in Figure 7. On the trackis mounted a stop carrier 37having in its base a groove 38 for relative sliding movement betweenthese parts and which suitably accommodates the track. A fixed positionof the carrier is secured by a rod 39 (Figure 2) having one end fixed inthe end wall 2 of the frame and its other end passed through the carrierand fitted with clamping nuts 40 engaging opposite sides of the carrier.The ends of the carrier support studs 41 which act as stops for the workprojected inwardly of the machine by the action of the pusher tubes asalready described, and the adjustment of the stop carrier on its trackdetermines the length of stock which may thus be fed into the machine oneach operation of the cam mechanism controlling the spindle assemblies.

In advance of the track 36, a wedge shaped spreader 42 is secured toeach horizontal surface of the slide 7 by means of screws 43. Theincllned faces of the member 42 converge in a horizontal plane andtowards the double wall 3. These faces are dovetailed as at 44 (Figure3) to engage in slidable relation tool holders 45 having each a tennon46 received in one of the clove-tail grooves. Thus the two spreaders 42engage four holders 45 corresponding with the four pieces of stocksupported by the four spindle assemblies.

The tool holders 45 are slotted at 47 to receive tools 48 held by screws49. In order to maintain the tool holders at a fixed distance from thestockcarrier 37, rods 50 have one end anchored in the carrier by clampnuts 51 threaded thereon and the other end formed with a square head 52(Figure 1) slipped into a T-slot 53 cut in the holder. The cutters 48are directed towards the stock, and it will be apparent that movement ofthe slide 7 by the means presently to be described, will cause the toolholders to be separated by the wedge 42 and the cutters to be driveninto the work.

The wall 2 of the frame has a pair of bearings 54 extending outwardlytherefrom as shown in Figure 2 for the purpose of accommodating a worm55 arranged horizontally and at right angles to the main drive shaft 4as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The main shaft carries a bevel 56 meshingwith a similar bevel 57 at the adjacent end of the worm whereby thelatter receives its movement. Between the bearings 54, the wall 2 isformed with still another bearing 58 which supports a stub shaft 59carrying a worm gear 60 in mesh with the worm 55. A cam shaft 61 isjournaled in the frame beneath the shaft 59 and carries a pinion 62meshing with a similar pinion 63 on the shaft 59. The shaft 61 supportsa cam consisting of a drum 64 having part of its surface blank as at 65and the remainder 66 of increased radius and formed with a cam groove67. The slide 7 is provided at one end with a head 68 having an ear 69carrying a roller 7 0 received in the cam groove 67. A neck 71 extendsupwardly from the head and has a'slot 72 which receives a guide block 73depending from the top piece 74 of the frame. The movement of the camthrough the gearing connecting it to the drive shaft moves the block 7whereby the wedge 42 separates the two holders for the purpose alreadymentioned.

. The frame is formed with transverse tracks 75 lying in substantiallythe same vertical plane as the tool holders 45. On these tracks aremounted slidable bases 76 which carry holders for tools engaging thepieces of stock at points opposite the inner tools 48. The holders arein the nature of uprights 77 and 78 each lying alongside two verticallyaligned pieces of stock. At the lower end of each upright is a foot 79penetrated by bolts 80 which have lower heads 81 slipped into undercutslots 82 formed in the corresponding slid-e. The uprights are forked atboth ends as at 83 and 84 for receiving the outer cutters 85 which areclamped in place by screws 86.

The outer holders 77 and 78 are drawn inwardly of the work in order tocut substantially halfway through thesame, while the remainder of theoperation is performed by the inner cutters. In order to effect suchoperation there is provided a lateral bearing 87 supported by the frameand accommodating a stub shaft 88 which is driven by its bevel gear 89meshing with a similar gear 90 on the cam shaft 61 as shown more clearlyin Figure 3. The stub shaft 88 carries a double cam consisting of a drum91 having a pair of similar but oppositely directed cam grooves 92 and93. The base 7 6 of the holder 77 has a lug 94 (Figures 1 and 2) towhich is attached a transverse rod 95 with a depending block 96 lyingover the groove 92 and having one of its faces substantially tangentialto the cam drum. In this block is mounted a spindle 97 carrying a roller98 riding in the groove 92. Adjacent the cam drum, the frame is formedwith a guide member 99 (Figure 2) having an aperture of square crosssection for receiving a square portion 100 of the rod 95, therebyguiding this elongated member and preventing turning movement thereof.The holder 7 8 has a stem 101 carrying a spindle 102 on which is mounteda roller 103 riding in the groove 93. Due to the opposite directions ofthe cam grooves at all points, the holder 77 will be moved oppositely tothe holder 78, so that both these members will simultaneously be drawntowards the work or away from it.

The main shaft 4 carries a gear 104 disposed exteriorly of the wallsection 3*. This gear meshes with pinions 105 carried by the variousspindle assemblies so that the latter are rotated against the cutters.

In Figure 2 the cam drums 64 and 91 are so related that the outer toolholders will be moved towards the work while the roller controlling theslide 7 and inner holders 45 rides on the blank part of the drum 64.When the cams have turned substantially 180, the outer holders will havebeen pushed into the work and withdrawn therefrom and the roller 70 willhave just entered the cam groove 67 to commence the cutting action ofthe inner tools 48. Thus, the work will be cut halfway by one set oftools and the operation subsequently completed by the other set so thatboth sets of tools will not meet. Obviously, the sequence in which bothsets of cutters act upon the work may be timed by adjusting the camdrums.

The tools 48 and 85 have been assumed to be devices which simply cut thework. They may however be of such shape to shape the stock adjacent thecleavage or to simply form the stock without severing it. It will alsobe apparent that more than four spindle assemblies may be provided andthat the outer and inner tools may be mounted to operate thereon in themanner herein described in connection with four spindles.

Although a specific-embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that various alterations in the detailsof construction may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as indicated by the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, a frame, awork holder supported by said frame, a main drive shaft, tool holderssupported by the frame at opposite sides of said work holder, and meansgeared to said shaft for moving said tool holders towards work supportedby the work holder.

2. In a machine of the character described, a frame, work holderssupported by said frame, inner and outer tool holders supported by theframe at opposite sides of each work holder, wedges mounted between andslidably connected to said inner tool holders, means for sliding saidwedges, and means for drawing said outer tool holders inwardly.

3. In a machine of the character described, a frame, work holderssupported thereby, inner tool holders slidably mounted on the frame,double tool holders slidably mounted on the frame and adapted each tocarry two outer tools, and means for sliding said tool holders towardswork supported by the work holders.

4. In a machine of the character described, a frame, work holderssupported thereby, inner tool holders slidably mounted on the frame,double tool holders slidably mounted on the frame and adapted each tocarry two outer tools, wedges mounted between and slidably connected tosaid inner tool holders, means for sliding said wedges, and means forsliding said outer tool holders towards work supported by said workholders.

5. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a work holdersupported thereby, a carrier fixed to said frame, a spacing rodextending from said carrier towards said work holder, atool holderslidably mounted on said rod for movement transversely thereof, meansfor sliding said tool holder, and a sto member supported by said carrierin axia alignment with said Work holder.

6. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a work holdersupported thereby, a carrier fixed to said frame, a spacing rodextending from said carrier towards said work holder, a tool holderslidably mounted on said rod for movement transversely thereof, a slidesupported by said frame, an inclined member carried by said slide andengaging said tool holder, and means for actuating said slide.

7 In a machine of the character described, a frame, a work holdersupported thereby, a carrier fixed to said frame, a spacing rodexcarrier fixed to said frame, a spacing rod extending from said carriertowards said work holder, a tool holder slidably mounted on said rod formovement transversely thereof, a slide supported by said frame, aninclined member carried by said slide and engaging said tool holder, anda cam connected to said slide for ac-tuatlng the same.

In testlmony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL J. SCHLITTERS, JR.

